


Tavern talk

by Schangia



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fantasy AU, Gen, PHWeek2020, it's basically just the two of them talking, or more like Reim trying to talk Break out of a very troubling idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23682304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schangia/pseuds/Schangia
Summary: Reim is used to Break's ridiculous ideas, but that doesn't mean he won't try to stop him every time he comes up with a new one.Pandora Hearts Week 2020, Day 4, prompt: fantasy AU
Relationships: Xerxes Break & Reim Lunettes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Tavern talk

The air inside the tavern was heavy, thick with smoke, and made his clothes cling to his skin quite uncomfortably. The noise level was above the level he was generally willing to tolerate, and if he was completely honest with himself, even the thought of being forced to spend time with the rabble gathering in these brittle walls made his blood pressure rise.

Reim would've been comfortable being anywhere but here, but sadly, there was nothing he could do against the terrible company. After all, Break loved the soggy apple tart the tavern served, so of course they had to pass their time here.

The more he thought about it, the more Reim realised that one, Break was the worst company anyone could ever ask for, and two, the reason for his headache was probably the conversation they've had for the past twenty minutes rather than the stifling air weighing on him.

“So anyway,” Break continued, picking at his tart with the fork he picked up half an hour ago and hadn't let go since then, “with all due respect, Reim-san, I simply don't understand why I shouldn't do it.”

If Reim had been a little less fed up with the situation, he would've laughed. Obviously Break understood everything he had said so far, every argument and suggestion—he just chose to play with him for his own crude entertainment.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We've been over this at least a dozen times. I'm entirely convinced that you know exactly why your idea is troubling at best.”

And devastating at worst, but that was beside his point. Everything that made his blood boil with barely concealed annoyance was beside his point, so Reim tried his best to ignore the provocative grin Break flashed at him.

“My dear friend, I fear you're underestimating the townspeople quite a bit.”

“Am I?” Reim asked, raising an eyebrow. He sincerely doubted that the poor folk would be able to handle whatever Break had in mind for them.

“Indeed. I'm positive they could handle it.” Break tapped his chin as if deep in thought, either oblivious or uncaring to the fact that he was smearing syrup across his face. “It might even be possible to double the number I had intended.”

“We're not doubling anything,” he shot right back, almost choking on his own spit, but Break didn't even look at him as he raised the hand that was still holding onto the fork.

“Yes, we should. Double the tart!”

Break made sure to shout the last part at the stout man behind the counter, who gave a small nod—in recognition or because his round head was too large for his thick neck, Reim couldn't quite say. All he knew was that his urge to shoot something grew stronger with every passing moment.

“The townspeople didn't do anything to you,” he tried again after he had taken a few moments to calm down. Break's reply, however, didn't help him maintain his composure at all.

“Quite the contrary, yes. They've provided me with excellent sweets so far.”

“Then why would you purposely put them through that nightmare?”

“No need to phrase it so negatively.” Break had the audacity to shake his head in fake disappointment, as if he was the responsible one and Reim the childish lunatic. “I'd say it prepares them for a worst case scenario.”

In Reim's humble opinion, Break himself was a worst case scenario, a disaster walking on two feet and leaving behind a trail of too much money spent on sweets, but he knew better than to say that out loud. His headache got worse by the second now; he almost didn't realise the owner of this lousy tavern bringing another plate of disgustingly sweet food to their table.

Instead of waiting for his reply, Break sank his fork right into the tart, licking his lips as he picked it up in one piece and bit right into it. Reim blinked at him; once, twice, and a third time, before he took a deep breath.

“For the last time, Xerx—if you try to do anything stupid, you leave me no other choice but to stop you.”

He reached to his side, grabbed his gun and put it on the table to let Break know that he was being absolutely serious.

Break just looked at him, completely unfazed, before he let out a low whistle and tilted his head to one side. “You really are no fun, Reim-san.”

“All I'm saying is this,” Reim sighed as his head continued to throb with dull pain, “summoning two dozen zombies inside a peaceful village does not sound like an idea you should even be entertaining.”

Break shook his head in such a reprimanding manner that Reim was incredibly close to actually shooting him.

“I'd appreciate if you didn't call them zombies.”

“Beg your pardon, Sir Necromancer. The term you use is 'undead', correct?” Reim asked, keeping a perfectly straight face even though Break's light-hearted laugh annoyed him greatly.

“There's a certain spiteful ring to it when you say it.”

“My apologies. That was intentional.”

In the silence that followed, Break continued to eat his tart without an actual care in the world. Once he had finished, he took a long look around the tavern, examining every single visitor before turning back to look at Reim, a generous grin on his face.

“If it means so much to you, I'll restrain myself this time.”

Fearing his voice would give away the slight horror he was still feeling, Reim simply nodded, thankful that his headache seemed to cease now. He didn't get his hopes up, though, since this was only a short-lived victory.

After all, they'd had this exact discussion in every village they travelled to so far.


End file.
